Automatic signal device



July 11, 1933. H CHESNUTT 1,918,231

AUTOMATIC S IGNAL DEVICE Filed May 2, 1952 Patented July 11, 1933 UNITED STATES 1,918,231 PATENT OFFICE EDWIN HOBBY CHESNUTT, F HOUSTON, TEXAS; IVIRS. PEARL CHESNUTT, ADMINISTRA- TRIX OF SAID EDWIN HOBBY CHESNUT'I, DECEASED, ASSIGNOR OF FGBTYJHINE PER CENT 'IO G. B. CHESNUTT, R. E. CI-IESNUTT AND J. A. CEESNUTT, ALL OF HARRIS COUNTY, TEXAS AUTOMATIC SIGNAL DEVICE Application, filed May 2, 1932. Serial No. 688,790.

This invention relates to an automatic signal device.

An object of the invention is to provide a signal device of the character described spe cially designed for use on railway cars and which is operable to give a warning when the train is broken up and the cars are being shifted separately but which will be inoperative when the cars are coupled together and coupled with the locomotive in a train.

The device is particularly useful when the cars are being shifted about railway yards, and at like places, to give an automatic Warning to indicate the movement of the cars.

Another object of the invention is to provide a warning signal of the character described that will be rendered inoperative when the car on which the signal is mounted, is coupled into a train.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention has particular relation to certain novel features of construction, operation and arrangement of parts, an example of which is given in this specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein Figure 1 shows a side elevation of the signal apparatus shown mounted on a railway car.

Figure 2 shows a plan view thereof partly in section, shown in inoperative position.

' Figure 3 shows a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 33 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 shows an enlarged elevational view of the gong, and

Figure 5 shows a fragmentary side elevation of an operating trigger employed, viewed as indicated by the line 55 of Figure 4.

Referring now more particularly to the drawing, wherein like numerals of reference designate similar parts in each of the figures, the numerals 1 and 2 designate the sections of a supporting rod, the forward end of the former of which is connectedto a sleeve 3 by a universal coupling 4 and the rear end of the latter of which is polygonal in cross sectional contour and telescopes within a correspondingly shaped socket 5, in said sleeve. The forward end of the rod section 2 has a bearing in the bearing member 6 which depends from the draw head 7. The forward end of the section 1 is mounted in a suitable bearing 8 which is supported from the car by the bracket 9 and the rear end of the rod section 1 has a bearing in the bearing member 10. This bearing member 10 may be located at any suitable place. As shown it is car ied by the supporting ring 11 which is mounted on the front axle 12 of the car. Rigidly secured to the rod section 1 by the clamp 13 there is a suitable gong 1e. Associated with the gong 14 there is a striker arm 15 which is pivoted at one end and whose other end carries the hammer 16. This hammer is held in neutral position by the oppositely working pull springs 17, 18 which are attached at one end to the arm 15 and at their other ends to the gong. The pivoted end of the lever 15 has a lateral arm 19 extending, at approximately right angles to said lever and this arm has a pivoted extension 20, for a purpose to be hereinafter described.

A bar 21 is slidably mounted on the gong and a pull spring 22 is connected at one end to the inner end of said bar and at its other end to the gong and said inner end of said bar 21 has an outwardly extending catch 23 arranged to engage the extension 20. When the bar 21 is actuated outv-Jardly the catch 23 will engage the extension and retract the hammer 16 and when said catch passes by and releases said extension the spring 18 will suddenly throw the hannner 16 outwardly into striking contact with the gong thus giving a warning signal. Upon the return of the bar 21, upon the contact of the catch 23 with the extension 20, said extension will yield to permit the catch to pass without operating the hammer. The lower end of the bar 21 has a pivoted arm 2 1 ex tending out atapproximately right angles to said bar and whose pivotedend has an overturned stop 25 which engages behind the bar 21 to limit the movement of the arm There is a clamp 26 secured around the axle 12 and extending outwardly from this clamp there is a plurality of strikers 27, 27 arranged to successively engage the arm 2% as the axle turns to successively actuate the bar 21 outwardly and to release the same and to thereby cause the hammer 16 to successively strike the gong to cause successive warning signals to be given.

The draw head 7 has a coupler member 28 of conventional construction and mounted in this coupler member 28 and extending beneath it there is a shaft 29 fixed to the upper end of which there is an arm 30 which is seated on a coil spring 31. Fastened to loo the lower end of the shaft 29 there is a shift arm 30 whose rear end is fitted through a bearing of the shift yoke 32 which depends from the rod section 2.

When the rear coupling member 33 of the car in front is uncoupled from the coupling member 28 the arm 30 will be released and the spring 31 will throw the arm 30 forwardly to the position indicated in dotted lines in Figure 2, thus rotating the shaft 29 and swinging the shift yoke 32 correspondingly to rotate the supporting rods 1, 2 and this will carry the arm 2% out into the path of the strikers 2. 27 to the end that when the car in front is uncoupled, the signal device will be in operative position and as the axle 12 turns as the corresponding car moves along the signal device will be successively operatec. lVhen the car in front is again coupled to the coupling member 28 the coupling member will depress the arm 30, or force it inwardly causing a corresponding lateral movement of the arm 2 0 and this in turn will rotate the rod sections 1, 2 and will,

swing the gong into the position shown in Figure 2 so that the arm 24 will be out of the range of the strikers 27 and the signal device will be inoperative. in other words when any particular car equipped with the signal device is coupled to a car in front saidsignal device will be rendered inoperative but when uncoupled said signal device will automatically swing into operative position and will be operated during the further movements of the car carrying such signal device. If the car is moved rearwardly the strikers 27 will strike against the underside of the arm 24 and operate said last mentioned arm idly without operating the signal device.

During the movements of the train the draw head '7 will have a certain amount of movement relative to the car, inasmuch as they are yieldingly mounted in a practical embodiment and as commonly mounted on railway cars. In order to provide for this movement the rod section 2 has a telescoping connection with the sleeve 3.

The drawing and description disclose what is now considered to be a preferred form of the invention by way of illustration only,while the broad principle of the invention will be defined by a'opended claims.

lVhat I claim is:

1. The combination with a railway car having a truck provided with a revolving striker, of a signal device, mounted on the car, arranged to be actuated by the striker when in active position and movable into inactive position out of the range of said; striker, and means normally holding said device in said active position and being arranged to be actuated by an adjacent car to move the signal device to inactive position.

2. The combination with a railway car having carrier means, of a signal device,

means movable with the carrier means and arranged to actuate said signal device, and

means for automatically moving the signal device into and out of operation relation with said actuating means.

may be moved out of such operative relation.

4. The combination with a vehicle, adapted to be connected into a train, and having carrier means, of a signal device movable into a ve and inactive positions, actuating means driven by the carrier means and effective to operate the signal device onlywhen the latter is in said active position, and means normally holding said signal device in said active position and arranged to be operated by an adjacent vehicle, when coupled into the train, to move said signal device into said inactive position. 4

5. The combination with a vehicle adapted to be connected into a train and having carrier means, actuating means arranged to be driven by the carrier means, a signal device, said actuating means and signal device being relatively movable into cooperating re1ation whereby said device may be operated by said actuating means, and being relatively movable out-of such relation, and means normally maintaining said device and actuating means in such operating relation and arranged to be operated by an adjacent vehicle, when coupled into said train, to maintain said device and actuating means out of such relation.

6. The combination with a railway car of a train, said car having a truck provided with an actuator, of a signal device mounted on the car and arranged to be operated by the actuator when the signal device'is in. ac-

tive position and movable into inactive position out of the range of the actuator and means for holding said signal device in saidactive position and being arranged to be actuj ated by an adjacent car of said train to move the signal device into inactive position.

EDXVIN HOBBY GHESNUTT. 

